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PTO chooses not to host annual fund-raiser for media center

By: Shireen Korkzan <skorkzan@hilite.org>

For over 10 years, the PTO has held its book-shopping fund-raiser for the media center every single year, but will no longer hold this event as of this year.

Over the past few years, there has been a rather significant decline in the total amount of money earned.

Every year, the fund-raiser would be held in Barnes & Noble, but in 2005 the PTO raised $651, which was significantly lower than what had been earned in previous years, such as the year before which raised $1,101.

Last year, the PTO decided to change locations to Borders, which included the stores in Carmel, River Crossing and Castleton, but only raised $250 for the media center, the lowest total ever earned.

“I was stunned because we had always done so much better than that,” media center specialist Connie Mitchell said. “And I was puzzled – (the PTO and the media center) we’re all puzzled – why we didn’t do so well last year.”

Every year, the PTO would send advertisements among the school and around the community to shop at either Barnes & Noble or Borders on a specific day in November with a coupon handed out to them that could be used by having 10 percent of what they buy go towards the fund-raiser.

The PTO and media center mainly advertised in the parent newsletter and during morning announcements here. Such reasons for not raising as much money every year could include the frequent change in store policies and more restrictions on what can be included in the fund-raiser.

For a while, gift certificates were included in the fund-raiser, but over the last few years were not allowed because of new corporate decisions that all stored had to follow. Another reason could be that book stores, especially Borders, are now constantly giving out coupons online to members or instantly give discounts.

“I think we (the media center) understood why (the PTO) was planning on not doing this kind of fund-raiser again,” Mitchell said. “(The PTO has) put a lot into these fund-raisers and I appreciate all they have done.”

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